With only eight teams remaining in this iteration of the Carabao Cup, an all-Premier League finish has emerged, making it clearer who will most likely go all the way.
The outright winner odds have changed slightly since the next round's fixtures were decided after this week's set of results.
Liverpool and Arsenal currently lead the way, which begs the question of whether anyone will be able to stop new manager Arne Slot's side from picking up back-to-back victories in the competition.
Team | Best odds |
---|---|
Arsenal |
11/4 |
Liverpool |
11/4 |
Newcastle |
6/1 |
Tottenham |
6/1 |
Man United |
8/1 |
Crystal Palace |
25/1 |
Brentford |
25/1 |
Southampton |
40/1 |
The table above shows the outright winner odds for every team still left in the competition. As expected, with a home tie against Crystal Palace and an away fixture against Southampton respectively, it is Arsenal and Liverpool who lead the way with arguably the easiest two games.
Best Carabao Cup winner odds – current leaders
Arsenal – 11/4
The Gunners have been in fine form this season, and the Carabao Cup has been no different. Comfortable wins against Preston and Bolton in the last two rounds have seen Mikel Arteta's men soar into the quarter-final, amassing eight goals and conceding one across the aforementioned games. It goes without saying that Arteta has also deployed weakened sides so far to allow for squad rotation.
However, with the competition reaching the latter stages and the chance to add to the FA Cup he has already won with the club, Arteta will be looking for a strong showing against Crystal Palace to cement Arsenal's ambitions of taking home the trophy.
Liverpool – 11/4
Despite a late comeback from Brighton, Slot managed to see out a victory for his side and earn Liverpool a place in the last eight. The Reds have been rewarded with the easiest possible fixture against Russell Martin's Southampton, and the Dutch coach will be seeking a strong start to his career at the club by securing some early silverware.
Jurgen Klopp ended his tenure on Merseyside by winning the 23/24 Carabao Cup, so fans of the club will be hoping that Slot can repeat that feat. With one of either Tottenham or Manchester United heading out in the next round, Liverpool look well-placed to mount a successful bid for the trophy. However, bookies price them equally with Arsenal, who we agree would be difficult to bet against given their current form.
Tottenham – 6/1
With a home draw against Manchester United on the horizon, we feel Tottenham could be outsiders at 6/1. However, confidence will be sky-high amongst Ange Postecoglou's troops after they overcame Manchester City with a narrow 2-1 victory. Still trophyless since winning this competition in 2008, it would be a dream for Postecoglou to be able to secure his first bit of silverware with the club.
Tottenham also stand at 7/5 to win any trophy this season out of a possible four, with the club currently participating in the Europa League too, for which they are priced at 7/2. It will be a tall order, but with a competitive team and a solid manager at the helm, this could be the year Spurs really break their curse.
However, in order to progress in this competition at least, it will take a courageous performance against a Manchester United side keen to impress interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Our prediction
We feel it is currently tough to look past Liverpool for the Carabao Cup. An away draw against Southampton in the next round, the current holders have already proven how tough they are to beat this season.
A double from Cody Gakpo was the difference last time out, and star performances in the latter stages from top players Mo Salah and the in-form Luis Diaz may just be too much for other sides to contend with.
With Slot looking to make a name for himself at the club as well, we think backing the Reds to go all the way could be the right move here.